Freedom
by Braly
Summary: It was said that the only reason the Volturi didn't come for Benjamin was because they were unaware of his existence... Except now, after the events of Breaking Dawn, they are.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This story idea came to me after reading 'The Twilight Saga: Official Illustrated Guide.' I really enjoyed reading the backgrounds of the different covens, especially the Egyptians. Demetri and Amun; that was cool. It was said that the only reason the Volturi didn't come for Benjamin too was because they were unaware of his existence... Except now, after Breaking Dawn, they are. And so, I began thinking this up.**

**I enjoy playing with minor characters so much more I find, because you really get a lot more room to wiggle with their personalities and stuff. Anyway, I guess I'll stop rambling now.**

**One last thing; you will probably enjoy this story more if you've read '****The Twilight Saga: Official Illustrated Guide****' yourself; at least the stories on the main characters of this fanfiction. If you're interested, I have a link to an online copy on my profile, but I STRONGLY suggest buying the actual book. :) **

"_Because to take away a man's freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person." _

_- _Madeleine L'Engle

**Prologue**

**Demetri's POV**

There was a time when I loved Egypt. I know this, but standing here now, for the life of me, (or rather death, I suppose,) I cannot remember why. The people had a reputation for being friendly and hospitable, if not a little stubborn. It's not like a little pollution was a bother to me, nor the moderately dirty streets. I had no problem with places like America or England, and the troubles there are no different from what they are here. So why did standing here in Egypt bother me so?

I sighed, reminding myself that what I feel towards this place is irrelevant. Besides, we weren't even in proximity to civilization. No, the only sign of sentient life for miles was the huge house, sitting in the middle of nowhere up ahead from us.

From where we stood, it looked like any other low-lying home with cramped space. Up close however, I knew it was actually set into the ground. The perfect hideaway constructed of durable concrete, steel, and rammed earth. The rustic coloured canopy protected the flat roof from the elements and hard sun, with room to let wind pass through to keep it cool. I could imagine sand must've been irritating to sweep out now and then.

"A little low to the ground, don't you think?" The singsong voice of Jane quipped from behind me.

"It's a lot bigger up close," I replied under my breath. Even her presence here put me on edge.

Jane and her brother Alec could outmatch the Grady twins from 'The Shining' on a scale of creepiness any day. Jane could easily pass for a little boy with her underdeveloped, pre-teen body and choppy, pale brown chin-length hair. It was at least clear Alec was male, with his slightly thinner lips and somewhat darker hair than his sister, but this wasn't the scariest part. No, that had to go to their eyes. Eyes so childlike shouldn't be able to hold so masochistic ferocity. It was unnatural, even in vampirism. What can I say; they were creepy.

"So are we going in, or what?" Felix asked impatiently. Felix; at least he made acceptable company, and didn't look like he wanted to kill anyone who dared to talk to him all the time. He was also probably the closest thing to a companion I had.

Before I could answer, Jane started walking foreword. Excuse me, but who was it that led us here? I furrowed my eyebrows, but followed anyway. Each step got harder and harder to take; the revulsion of the house was killing me. My distaste must have been obvious, for Felix found great amusement in my stiff posture.

"You know, if you wanna wuss out-"

I cut him off with a glare. He just didn't understand- but then again, did I? Where did all this aversion come from?

"As much as I loathe the idea of seeing _him_, the boy obviously needs our help," I explained. Felix just gave me a look like he knew something I didn't; oh, how I hated that. We exchanged stares, before Jane appeared between us, with a snarl painted on her face.

"If you two _children_ are done fooling around, we have a job to do."

"She's right. Let's just get this over with," I muttered. The sooner we were out of here, the better. "Let's just grab the kid and go."

**A/N: A few things. First, this story is ****pre-written****, meaning I've already completed it. This means that although I will be posting the entire story RIGHT NOW, it limits what changes I can make to the story based on any advice you have for me. **

**Second, the chapters are all about 1000 words long, excluding this one, and the Epilogue. The chapters will alternate point of views between Benjamin, Tia, and Demetri. (Yes, he actually plays just as much a role in this as they do.) It's not a very heavy read, but hopefully you will find it a good one.**

**Third, I would appreciate any feedback you have, and even if critique isn't your forte, don't be afraid to review regardless. :)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

**Benjamin's POV**

Our house had three stories. Two for accommodations and one at the very bottom level for my 'exercises.' The first floor consisted of the living area, complete with a kitchen, (really only an empty dining table,) library, walk-in shower, and an indoor fountain. The walls ranged in shades of grey, beige, and brown, with hardwood flooring.

Through the library was a staircase leading to the level below, which was considerably bare compared to the top. Down the middle was a narrow hallway, separating four bedrooms, two of which were occupied. The last on the right was where Amun and Kebi sought out peace. It was an unspoken rule that no one was to enter but Amun and Kebi. The first on the left was for me and Tia. In the late 1960's Tia had requested a colour TV, but was shot down. Both rooms were rather empty, consisting of a single bed each, a desk, and shelving units with junk from throughout centuries to collect dust. The entire complex was run by an outrageously large generator.

And to think, this place was once nothing but a hole in the ground. Times, have changed, that's for sure.

Currently, Tia and I were childishly messing around in the bottom-level. Because it was so far underground, the walls would often be moist and dank, like a crypt. Yes, 'the crypt' would be a perfect name for it. Out of the whole house, this was both my favourite and least favourite room. I despised it because of its dank and musty smell, and the jail-like qualities it has. I loved it because this is where I got to play. Playing, of course, meaning to toy with my uncanny ability to manipulate the four major elements; earth, water, fire, and air. Yes, it is quite impressive. It'd be even more impressive if I mastered how to do so, after all these years, but that's the whole point of practice I suppose.

Practice. For today, practice has been trying to blow giant rocks back and forth across the room, when simply throwing them would be much easier. While I considered it boring and useless, Amun didn't, and he always knows best. (Well, most of the time.) But instead of doing that, Tia and I were carving pictures into the boulders with our fingers. It started when she punched a smiley face into the side of one, and I added fangs to it. Before we knew it the two of us were sitting cross-legged on the floor doodling stars, cats and peace symbols.

Our mindless entertainment was interrupted of course. "Don't think I can't hear you slacking off," Amun's stern voice rang down from upstairs. Tia sighed and I just shrugged.

"I swear, if you weren't already dead, all his work would kill you," she joked, but part of me knew it was more than that. I started arranging the rocks in a line like they were originally set up.

"I don't understand why you don't like him."

"I don't understand why you do," she retorted. Truthfully, sometimes I questioned that myself. But Amun was the best father figure I ever had. He may be stern, but he's only looking out for my best interests. He may be over protective, but that's just because he cares for me... Or at least, I like to think that's why.

"He's been good to me." And that was the end of our conversation. Tia was never a talkative one, but an excellent listener. And when she did speak, it had importance to it. This, I always thought, was good. I needed someone to listen to me, and she needed someone to listen _too_ and take her responses seriously. On top of that, she had beauty that could rival a god. Her hair was full, dark and flawlessly straight, (well at least to me, but she would argue otherwise,) she had striking high cheek bones, ruby red lips, and the brightest smile in the world, if she ever let you see it. I couldn't image loving anyone more.

I warmed up by twirling my finger and forming a tiny tornado to get the feel for things. Then I exhaled out of habit and extended my hand, as if to push something. The bolder didn't budge. I tried again this time feeling wind in my ears and watched the rock tip foreword a bit. That was about all I could manage however, as I tried over, and over, and over... I would get bored at failure and mess around some more. My attention span wasn't the best when I was frustrated. Nonetheless, I tried again, and again, and again...

This was stupid. Regular wind couldn't even move rocks like this, so how was I supposed to?!

Then it clicked. Maybe that was the point; to test my limits. It made sense. I smiled, happy to realize this so quickly. Amun would definitely be proud of me.

"I can't," I spoke out loud for the first time in a few hours. Tia, who was still seated in the corner watching, frowned.

"Ben, there's pretty much nothing you can't do."

"That's the point!" After this, I rushed upstairs before you could blink. "That's the point, isn't it?" I asked Amun, who was working on an oil painting of Kebi, seated on a stool in front of him, motionless and silent as usual. "I can't."

Amun put down his brush. "That is the point." And then he said the words I was waiting for. "I'm proud of you." I was beaming inside. "You're not invincible Benjamin. You have amazing power, and people will be after you because of that. So you need to stay safe and hidden. Always remember that." He placed his hand on my shoulder as I saw Tia come up the stairs at a human's pace. "You do what I say, and you stay safe."

Wait a minute. So _that's_ what this is about. I frowned and shook his hand off. "Don't tell me you're still angry about the Volturi thing, are you?"

A few months back, we were asked to go to America to defend a coven from the Volturi. Little Renesmee, the most remarkable half-human, half-vampire infant was mistaken for an immortal child. There was no way I was going to stand by and watch an innocent family murdered on false accusations, especially when a power like mine could be so helpful. It was just the right thing to do. Of course, Amun was against it from the start. I had opposed his guidance, and now the Volturi knew exactly who I was; something Amun had tried to avoid all my life. To say he was furious with Tia and I would be an understatement.

"They stole from me once; I don't want it to happen again!" He furrowed his eyebrows, and Kebi jumped up from her seat to come to his side, giving me an evil glare for upsetting her master and mate. Amun accepted her comfort, and I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.

I removed the frown from my face and tried to give an apologetic smile. "I promise I'm not going anywhere. This is now, and forever will be my home."

"Cute. I didn't think you lot were capable of family moments." We all turned around. At the top of the stares, four cloaked figures in black looked down at us.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

**Demetri's POV**

"Benjamin." Amun's command was barely spoken before the boy acted. He outstretched his hands towards the misty fountain, and the water rose out of its distinct path, tumbling down on us in a blinding wave. This may have been only a minor inconvenience, but it was enough to let the boy and his coven make a break for it.

In front of me Jane hissed in frustration, shaking her drenched hair like a wet dog, before taking off after them. Next was Felix, I followed, and then so did Alec, who it seemed needed a second to even register what just happened.

Amun was ahead of the rest, running in cowardice. Again, that odd feeling came over me, seeing him run away. The back of my mind said he was my friend. In another universe, I would be running right there beside him, probably laughing all the way.

No, he wasn't my friend; he was never my friend. He may have been my creator, but-

I wanted to growl. My mind was a mess at the moment. The Volturi. Just- just do what the Volturi asked of you.

Focus on the boy; the tall boy with the short black hair and long legs. Ironic, how physically weak he looked, and yet carried the weapons to destroy the world, if he wanted to.

Far ahead my eyes closed in on an oasis. They must've seen it too, for the group made a slight bank to the right to change course. This had to have given Jane enough proximity, for the girl; the last one in their fleeing line-up, suddenly tripped, and was sent flying face first into the sand, screaming.

The boy skidded to a halt, burying his bare feet into the dirt and sand, sending flecks of it flying everywhere. He turned around, calling out her name, while she just continued to contort her body in unnatural positions. As we closed in on the two, I felt the ground tremble beneath us in his anger, whether it was on purpose or not. Out of the blue, the wind tore at our clothes, nearly ripping them off our backs. Dust and sand bore into our skin, climbing up our noses and into our eyes. In few seconds, any human would've been completely blinded, and in a few more so would we. But Jane's victim continued to scream, which meant she must've been able to see well enough.

Felix sightlessly tackled the kid, knocking him off his feet and sending the two of them rolling in the dirt. The moment he took him down the wind dropped just as fast as it came on. The boy started snapping his teeth wildly in defence, which only proved Aro's suspicions correct; he had no idea how to fight close-handed. Was Amun really so arrogant that he didn't expect anyone to get this far in attack?

I could see Felix was holding back laughter; effortlessly dodging the kid's every attempt to bite. This was much easier than we expected. I casually walked over and picked the girl up like a broken, automated toy that continued to flail around. "Lay off Jane," I said, once I was sure I got a good grip, with one hand around the neck and the other around the waist. Any attempt to break loose would result in a beheading. I felt the girl's muscles slacken, as if she just fought her way through a thousand battles. She probably did in her head. Once her screams died out, the boy stopped fighting and looked over to see if his mate was still alive. His face showed a look of anger and frustration, as Felix pressed his knee into his chest. There was a cracking sound, like solid marble caving under pressure.

The boy hissed at the pain, and just when I thought the struggle was done with, his hands suddenly erupted in flames. Felix swore and jumped off, vigorously brushing at his clothes to stop the fire, but to no avail. The boy outstretched his hands, snarling, and the blaze grew, encasing Felix completely.

Alec's eyes narrowed, I guess finally getting bored of seeing Felix make a fool of himself, and I watched the barely visible mist crawl off his body and blanket the kid before he could get up. His eyes glazed over, and the struggle stopped in confusion. Felix, who was trying to regain his wits now that the flames were gone, looked up for the judgement call, and Alec nodded his head. "I've got him," he barely whispered. Alec wasn't really one to talk. Probably because his pre-pubescent voice was just... well, adorable, and completely unfitting. I kind of pitied him for being turned before puberty. Not that I would ever voice that out loud- I'd like to stay alive.

I leaned in close to the girl, who had yet to say anything about what was going on. With my mouth just centimetres away from her ear, I whispered.

"We're going to take your boy, but the Volturi has no quarrel with you. If you're a good little girl, we'll let you go." No response. To sink it in, I added, "He seems to like you. I don't think he'd be too happy if you ended up dead because you couldn't follow our rules."

"I'm Egyptian. I'm pretty good at uprising in times of need."

"This isn't one of those times." I looked up and nodded at Felix, who was flicking the boy in the head, and finding amusement in the lack of response. I nodded, he picked him up in a fireman's carry, and the three took off back to where we came from, leaving the girl and I alone. "I'm going to let you go now. You can either run away like the rest of your pathetic coven, or attempt to follow and end up dead. Honestly, I could care less what you do." And at that, I released my grip on her. She stood there for a minute, biting her lip. I simply smirked, before she took off after Amun and Kebi, who were probably somewhere in Libya by now.

And with that, I followed the invisible trail left by my group. We had a plane to catch.

**A/N: I swear, there **_**will**_** be dialogue in this story eventually, haha. **

**I'm not very good at writing fight scenes... So I hope this was satisfactory.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

**Tia's POV**

_Pathetic_. The word choice was well selected. I was pathetic, and a coward, and every synonym of the phrase _idiot_ you could think of. Benjamin would never abandon me like this.

But I would hate him for it. And I'm sure he would hate it if I had stayed too. As much as I wanted to- as much as I'd rather die than be without him, the only thing staying behind would've accomplished was ridding the chance to ever see him again. I couldn't do that. He wouldn't want me to.

My dress was damp now, from where the Volturi man was holding me. Benjamin sure soaked them. That was the last of my concerns right now though, I reminded myself.

Amun had left us. He ditched us, just like that. Four against two; even with Benjamin's gift we didn't stand a chance; not with the two witches and the ridiculously bulk man among their ranks. After all he said about being a family; about staying safe together... Honestly, I shouldn't be so surprised. From the very beginning, I knew what a selfish coward he was. I knew the real reason he wanted Benjamin around, but I didn't challenge it. He wanted to keep Ben safe, and that's all I wanted too, so I didn't say a thing. But I should have; maybe if I had said something we wouldn't be here today. We could've left; just the two of us, like we planned to do all those years ago, before Amun, before we were vampires... No, it's no use dwelling on the past.

I finally saw them. From my distance they looked to be siblings; both with jet black hair and pale olive skin. The only difference was Kebi's 5'3" stance and Amun's 5'8".

Amun was pacing back and forth in frustration, and Kebi just stood there watching, unsure of what to do. I slowed my pace before coming to a halt a few feet away, waving my finger madly.

"You left us! You left us and now Ben-" He snarled and grabbed at my throat. I knew immediately I should've kept my mouth shut.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me that way." His grip tightened and I found myself being lifted off the ground. "This is _your_ fault. He would've never done this if you weren't in the picture! And to top it off, they send _Demetri_ to do it, just to rub it in my face..." Amun was beyond angry, and I was not in a very good position when he was angry like this. I tried to pry his hands away from me, but they wouldn't budge. "I just lost my most valuable possession."

Breath caught in my throat as he started to squeeze, as if he was expecting my head to pop off like a cork in a wine bottle. I knew he was going to kill me. If I wanted to stay alive, I better start talking. "You kill me, and he'll never come back," I said, trying my best to hide my fear and anger.

"He's not coming back anyway."

"You don't know that. You said the Volturi brainwashes people, but they can't stop him from loving me. As long as I'm alive, he'll want to come back to me." He stopped for a minute, and I knew it was working. "He'll come back. I _know_ he will." A few seconds passed, and he finally released the death grip on me. I wanted to sigh in relief, but knew better than to do so. From this point on, I just had to stay as quiet as possible, and pray Amun didn't change his mind.

"Is it safe to go back home?" I asked, and Amun thought about it.

"They have no reason to return. It's not like I have anything else they can take from me." He mindlessly offered his hand out for Kebi to take. She glared daggers at me for the first time in a while. Sometimes I wanted to slap her; wake her up from her worshiping daydream. You'd think after a few thousand years she'd realize Amun was no god. The three of us started running again.

I was reminded of the time when I thought Benjamin was dead. Images from my twelve year-old self were muddy and blurry, but this one seemed to shine through. My mother's second cousin (and Benjamin's great-uncle) took in all the unwanted kids in the family, and taught us how to be street performers and pick-pockets. Benjamin was naturally his favourite for his unexplainable ability to control fire. Because of this, the uncle and Benjamin were together when Amun stole Ben away, resulting in his murder. When the body was found, of course everyone just assumed Ben was dead as well. The years that followed were almost the death of me. I couldn't stand being so alone. He had been my only friend; the only one I could trust, and he was gone.

Of course, I eventually saw him again, five years later. After ultimately being married off to an old man, Benjamin had come to see me. The minute I saw his face; his new face, I knew I wanted to go with him. And so I did.

But now he was gone again. And just like before, I was empty inside.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

**Benjamin's POV**

I had never experienced anything like it in my life. The best way to put it to words would be what I always imagined an out-of-body experience would feel like. No vision, no hearing, no smell, no taste, no touch. If my body was moving I couldn't tell; I had no kinesthetics either. In fact it felt like I had no body. After a few seconds I realised all my senses were gone; something I connected to one of the Volturi guard Amun had told me about, but couldn't I put a name to him.

There was no way of telling how much time was passing. There was no way of telling where I was, or what was going on, but I hoped Amun and Kebi would return to save us. Any minute now I'm sure I would 'wake up' and see Tia safe, and we would all run away together.

Any minute now...

Minutes were sure taking a long time, even when I counted in my head. This whole out-of-body thing must've been throwing me off, I assured myself, and just continued to think.

I thought about what I would do when I got up. I could open up a fissure or something and try to burry them; why I didn't think of that in the first place I didn't know. I was just scared for Tia I guess, and air was the first thing that came to mind.

After what seemed like years, I was suddenly given my hearing back. Nothing else; just my ears. It was an odd feeling after going without them for that long (or short) period. The sense just hit me; I could hear a whirring of a plane, the breathing of four- no, six people. Two of which had steady heartbeats I could hear from a separate room. Why would there be humans amid us?

"He hasn't done anything yet, so that's a good sign," a tenor voice spoke fluidly. That's when the fear crawled in; this voice did not belong to anyone I knew. I heard my own voice try and start a response, but it was weird when I couldn't feel my own lips move. They obviously did so however. "Give him his proprioception back too; it's not like he's going anywhere."

"What about his gifts," another voice spoke out, this one a baritone, and with a touch of worry in it.

Someone came up close to my ear. "You're not going to try and crash the plane, are you boy? Not without your sight. Besides, I'm sure your girl would want you to behave."

Tia? Did they have Tia? He knew already that I wouldn't take that chance.

My brain was suddenly sucked back into my body, and I could feel myself seated up and buckled into a cushioned seat, my head resting against a wall. I straightened my back and swivelled my head around, as if my vision would suddenly come back as well.

"Tia?" I said out loud, hoping I would hear her answer. When she didn't my hope rose again. The chance that she was safe just increased.

"Cute. But aren't you a little too young for her?"

Tia in fact did look a lot older than seventeen, and despite the fact that I was fairly tall, I kept the boyish looks of a fifteen year-old kid. I ignored his comment nonetheless. Did he honestly expect me to have a normal conversation with him, like two high-school buddies that met up after collage?

"Oh, come on sport. We just saved you from a life of servitude to a selfish old prick, the least you can do is thank us."

He wanted me to _thank them_ for kidnapping me? Is that really how their logic worked? Amun had always told me the Volturi was full of mentally ill people, but I never suspected he was telling the truth.

"Are you really that bored to reduce yourself to conversing with our targets, Demetri?" A high-pitched girly voice asked from behind me.

"Forgive me for trying to lighten up the atmosphere," he replied snarkily.

"I was always told not to talk to strangers, unless they plan on giving you money." This 'target' could quip too, sir. So much for staying silent, but I didn't want them to know how scared I was.

I could just tell by the way he spoke that his lips pulled into a smile. "And who said that? Amun?"

No, _he_ told me not to talk to _anyone_.

"Didn't you ever get tired of being a recluse?" The baritone voice pitched in, when I didn't answer.

"Amun has a way of disempowering people, kind of like a knock-off version of Aro," his partner explained.

"Hey!" I started, "Amun is smart. He's forgiving, and strong-willed, and he's like a father to me! He tells me what to do-"

"-How to think, how to act, been there, done all that," the Demetri man cut me off. I avoided mentioning the irony in the fact that the Volturi apparently did the same thing.

"...Because he cares about me."

"See, the sad part is you _actually_ believe it." He grabbed my hand, as if pitying me, and reassuringly shook it, like an older brother trying to encourage his sibling everything was going to be okay. Naturally, I pulled it away and growled at him for invading my space. Why was he even trying to talk to me? Why not keep me in my comatose-like state? He sighed. "Whatever. Chelsea will enlighten you when we get back to Italy. And then we're off to China."

Chelsea- I knew that name. "You're not going to brainwash me. They'll come to my rescue." Sight or not, I could feel sparks weave between my fingers, ready to burst into flame. Of course this only resulted in the loss of all my senses again. Stupid, Benjamin.

The minutes became hours again.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

**Demetri's POV**

The way his voice didn't weaver held so much sureness in it; it was hard to believe otherwise. But what he said- _brainwash_, it made me wonder. Is that what Chelsea did? Brainwash people? I always thought of it as... the power of persuasion, not brainwashing. Chelsea is the one who holds the Volturi together; the one who builds our guard. When we come across those who are less than cooperative, like this kid for example, she changes that. He'll be happy to be with us once Chelsea fixes him. And it's not like they even know what's happened to them, so no harm done.

But wait a minute- if you couldn't recognize her gift at work yourself...

How can _I_ know if _I've_ been under her influence? Is this really me? Am I really... doesn't matter. Why I am what I am is irreverent; I'm here now, and I'm happy here. That's what matters.

Right?

[][][][][]

Alec was happy to put him back under his spell, unimpressed with my attempts at humor. Besides, our human pilots had begun descending to our small, private landing strip hidden in the hills outside of the city. The strip was most commonly used for Heidi's _guests_, but with her current 'fishing trip' in France the runway was empty at the moment.

After un-boarding the aircraft, Felix conversed briefly with the human pilots before picking up our cargo and following the rest of us to the old church.

I hated the ancient church; despite its popular use as an entrance way to the castle, the structure was barely held together with rotten wood, and coated from head to toe in dust. Of course the biggest threat dust could cause to us was build up in our hair, it was still a nuisance. And the creaking noises heard with every step got on your nerves fast. I was much happier once we were down in the dank and haunted tunnel.

Chelsea was waiting in her office. Afton was with her; playing with her long, light-brown hair. I didn't like Afton- He got whatever he wanted, because _Chelsea_ got whatever _she_ wanted. Did he have no pride?

Jane disappeared to wherever it was Jane disappears to. Alec probably wanted to follow, but had to stay to keep the kid under control. Felix smiled hopefully at Chelsea, still not understanding after all this time that she was taken already, and sat the boy down.

"Aro's in the south-east wing, talking with Corin," I announced, so in tune to his whereabouts by now that I was constantly aware of his location. Felix nodded and went to report our arrival.

Chelsea took a seat across the table from her victim- _no_, patient. Her pure black robes brushed against the hardwood. She leaned foreword, and gave Alec a nod to release him, having a hold on the boy herself. The mist crept away and anger filled his eyes for just a brief moment. I watched attentively as the emotions went through their usual pattern under Chelsea's gift; horror, confusion, bliss, and then finally the stoic blank stare. She smiled proudly, and the boy looked around, as if searching for something, or someone.

I suppose I should stop referring to him as just another boy now. I sighed, inwardly correcting myself; _Benjamin_. It sounded too English and plain. Demetri- now _that_ was a good name. Not overly popular, but not outdated after all these years.

"Are you feeling okay?" Chelsea asked, always as a check to make sure her job was done. He nodded his head, still in a bit of a daze.

"I'm just confused. I could have sworn I- Never mind, it doesn't matter," he dismissed it.

"Demetri, take him to the showers before presenting him to Aro," Chelsea ordered, and I was about to rebuttal that I just got back, and perhaps wanted some time to myself, but was reminded that no one was supposed to argue with Chelsea. _Ugh_. I grabbed Benjamin by the shoulder and led him down to the west-wing, which was a lot easier now that he wasn't behaving so childishly. His bare feet made no noise as I dragged him along.

"Tap, shampoo, clothes," I pointed out, leaving him alone to go rinse off the sand and dirt on myself from his stupid storm. Showering was required a lot less often as a vampire; it's not like we sweat or build up dandruff, so the only real reason to ever step foot under a spout is to rinse the dust out of our hair, or to clean off grime like this.

After drying off I saw him outside the stalls, fully clothed and waiting for me with an insecure look on his face. I took notice of how valuable Aro thought he was by the shade of grey fabric; I matched it to be darker than mine, (which I won't deny I was jealous of,) but lighter than Jane and Alec's. The fact that this was already arranged made me wonder just how long Aro was planning for him. I wouldn't be surprised if he had everything ready for the desirable Cullen kids as well.

I started walking and he followed behind me like a little annoying lost puppy. I stepped aside for him to push the giant doors open, and be greeted by an overly pleased Aro. I knew Chelsea's binding must've been good, because the kid -Ugh, _Benjamin_; I really have to break that habit- perked right up in seeing him.

Aro had shoulder length black hair not unlike my own, with the exception that mine had waves to it, while his was almost unnaturally smooth. His age showed with the milky film over his eyes and chalk-like texture to his skin, built up from centuries of statue-like existence. I swore a long time ago that I would never let myself grow to look like that; I was far too handsome. Marcus was even worse.

I don't think I've ever seen Aro happier than when he looked at Benjamin; it kind of resembled an athlete after winning gold in the Olympics. Without saying a word, he abandoned his attention towards Felix and caressed the boy's hand, reading his thoughts with a grin on his face. Seeing him smile like that made me happy too- It was strange how I had an unnatural need to please him. How we all did. I suppose it was his charisma. Aro was a clever guy; a brilliant strategist with leadership outmatched by no one.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you here," he said affectionately. "I promise, there is no better place for you on earth." The boy nodded his head in response, and Aro looked up at me. "Felix tells me there was no trouble."

"A minor scuff, but nothing we couldn't handle. The rest of them ran off. Cowards," I grinned, and Aro withdrew his hands from Benjamin to take mine to graze over my recent thoughts.

"You have excellent timing. Caius is eager to leave once the sun goes down tonight."

"Who is going?" I asked

"Jane, Felix, Santiago, and... him," he said, motioning to Benjamin, who was of course completely in the dark about the whole thing. I was happy not to hear my own name. I was frequently required for any type of case outside of Volterra, as most of them needed my incredible gift of tracking any mind's essence. In fact I probably spent more of my time outside of home than within. Aro must've considered his source of information trustworthy. Of course I refrained from showing these thoughts on my face, as I didn't want to risk disappointing him. "It should be a quick execution. The girls are completely unaware of what is coming for them."

"I'm sure we can make it last," Caius sneered from behind him.

Aro ignored his comment however. "Felix, please find Benjamin a room for his use. I'm sure he has much to think about right now." Felix nodded and the two left, with Felix attempting a casual conversation on the way. I was about to leave myself when Aro put his hand on my shoulder.

"We have a problem," he started, taking a seat.

"I don't understand. Everything was executed perfectly."

"I won't disagree; you handled the situation with every profession I can expect. However, I'm afraid this setback is not something we can... adjust in him."

"He's in love with that girl, isn't he," I said. I should've known, really. "Do you want me to go back and dispose of her?" I closed my eyes for a second, connecting to her location.

"_No_." Marcus spoke up, which was a rare occurrence. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"I swear, I've never tied anyone so tightly before," Chelsea defended herself. "He can't possibly be more loyal to her than to us."

"So he's conflicted," I summed up, and Aro nodded his head. That explained the insecure look about him. "What should we do?"

"Nothing, for the moment," he drummed his fingers against the seat's arm rest. "I want to see how this will play out first. Who knows, it might not even be an issue."

Trusting his judgement, I nodded my head and excused myself. Perhaps I would go to the library and read, or to the TV room, where Felix surely was. Whatever it was I would do, I was glad to know it would be under the category of 'relaxing,' after such an unwanted thoughts-provoking trip.

_Brainwashing_...


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

**Benjamin's POV**

"What is that?" Felix peered over my shoulder to look down at the message on the desk in front of me.

"A letter," I answered, folding up the paper.

"It looks like a bunch of squiggly lines."

"It's Arabic."

"Oh. How many languages can you speak?" He asked me. Amun had told me that a lot of vampires spoke multiple languages, as we have a lot of time on our hands. He was fluent in some that no one even spoke in anymore. This was a bit embarrassing for me, as I only knew two, never getting the chance to leave my home before the Cullen event.

"Just Arabic and English; in 1882 the British took over, giving me a great excuse to test my linguistic skills. What about you?"

He smiled, "I actually haven't been around for very long when you compare me to some of the others around here. I know Italian and English. English was hard, but I tend to spend a lot of time in the Americas, so I kind of felt the need to learn it."

"How old are you?" I asked conversationally, as I sealed the envelope.

"I was born in Milan, Italy, in 1946. After the war was over, I needed a job, and guess who landed an office position right here in the castle? As it turns out, my amazing physique was worth keeping, and here I am." He motioned to himself standing in front of me, signaling the end of his story. I suppose that explained why he was so built- he must've been one brawny soldier as a human, but it was hard to imagine him as a receptionist or something.

"You're history is a lot better than mine."

"I doubt that, and would love for you to prove me right, but I actually came in here because Caius told me to come and fetch you."

"I have to give this to Aro first."

He nodded, and the two of us briskly headed for the main chamber, while Felix explained to me how much more practical 'e-mail' was over 'snail mail.'

Aro was in the turret; the same place I saw him last. He nodded at Felix, as if they were exchanging a secret conversation, and I held out the envelope for him to take. "If it isn't too much trouble, I would like this sent as soon as possible" I requested in my most respectful tone.

"Of course," he smiled, "may I ask who it is for?"

"Tia" I said, without realizing that he might not recognize the name. "My mate; I worry about her being alone."

He rubbed his fingers over the address. "Naturally. I'll have Marie send it right away, perhaps even with a little something special."

"She likes purple," I added appreciatively, while he passed it to one of the lower subordinates. Aro smiled approvingly, dismissing us.

We went out an ancient tunnel that led up into a beaten down church, and out to a bare landscape, besides the small airstrip occupied by a decent sized plane. Although I knew this plane was how I was brought to Italy, I did not have the opportunity to see it. It had no commercial logos on the side, or any indication that it was even legal. How they managed to fly around the world without being caught I didn't know.

I saw two human pilots -those who I must've smelled on my first trip- along with Caius, Jane, and another man I wasn't introduced to yet. He looked pretty bulk like Felix, though certainly not to that extent. He also seemed very eager to get to wherever we were going. "Where are we going?" I voiced my question out loud, while I was dragged onto the plane.

"This is the best part of being on the guard, kid. Travel the world, see the sights... Kill the lawbreakers..." Felix seemed to be happy as well. It wasn't really an answer, but I just went with it. For some reason my normal curiosity was willing to subside lately.

Caius was seated up front with Jane, and the stranger sat many rows away in the very back. It seemed a bit silly to have so many seats and so little passengers. Felix went to sit back with the stranger, but I decided I'd rather sit alone in the middle.

Let me tell you about flying on a plane. It's just like riding in a car, except when you look out the window you see clouds and distant land, rather that other traffic and crosswalks. The excitement over the experience seemed a bit overrated in my opinion; especially when you could get a near replica of the _real_ sensation by jumping. Or at least _we_ could, that is.

I couldn't stop thinking about Tia, and yet every thought or memory was somehow turned around, as if there was an unnatural force in my head that wouldn't let me question why I was without her. When I wondered what she would think about what I was about to do, the reflection was abruptly dismissed as unimportant. It was confusing, and hurt my head.

"You seem upset." A chime-like voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up and saw Jane eyeing me disapprovingly, as if I had no right to be sad.

"I'm not," I replied, "I just miss someone."

"I used to miss a lot of people," she said impassively, "but then I realized I was wasting my time, and found other ways to entertain myself." At this, she smiled, sending shivers down my spine. Tia would not like her. Tia would want me- _Stop it_. The Volturi have her here for a reason. She's important, and whether Tia would like her or not is beside the point.

After quite a long while, the scenery began to change, and we started lowering altitude. Caius' normally censorious gaze broke out into a sadistic smile. "Finally."

**A/N: Felix's story was complete bullshit, btw. I made it up; I just felt like there should be an excuse for why he's supposedly so buff, and also some sort of conversation for the two to share, just to give the impression that Benjamin sees nothing wrong with associating with them now.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

**Tia's POV**

_Dear Tia,_

_I miss you so much. I feel like a book that someone ripped every other page out of without you. _

_I never comprehended everything we were missing before, hidden away under Amun's hand. There's a whole world out there to take, and the Volturi keep it from falling under the wrong hands. Why couldn't I see this before? Why didn't I realise how important it is to be here? I finally understand my purpose in this life, and I've never been so happy. All those novels about heroes and villains were right; it's my duty to use my gifts for the greater good._

_I already feel like part of a family. They nod to me when I walk down the halls as if they've known me all my life, and get offended if I don't nod back. It's funny; I remember thinking they were so evil, but now I can't put together why I would get that impression. _

_Perhaps because of Amun; I was so naive and misguided in following him. I should have listened to all the times you told me not to._

_I want to go and get you; sweep you off your feet and the two of us can live out our fairytale here in Italy. But even just thinking about going to Egypt revolts me, and I don't know why. So this is why I'm writing you Tia. Please come to Italy. Come be with me. I know you miss me too._

_Love, Ben_

I clutched the paper tightly in my fingers, sending wrinkles down the page. I don't know what influenced me to visit our rarely used post office in Alexandria, but I did. I guess it was the small hope that Ben was safe, and still _him_. Now I wish I didn't come here; it only confirmed my fears.

"Excuse me, miss, you look upset," a man came up from behind me, and I instinctively stiffened. Interacting with humans was a big no-no; Amun would freak just knowing I was in the city, doing something other than hunting. "Is there something I can do?"

"My brother left me," I lied, looking away and adjusting the sunglasses on my face. "I have no money for a taxi, and no way to get home."

"I could give you a lift, if you'd like" he offered, genuinely wanting to help. "Where do you live?"

I smiled. "Thank you so much." I folded the paper and put it in my pocket, and slid the unopened package that came with it in there as well. I needed to keep my act together.

We got into his car, and I started giving fake directions, leading the two of us out of the bulk population and onto a relatively clear road. He told me about his beautiful girlfriend, who recently moved in with him, complained about "the cost of life these days," and how he was having trouble with his internet recently, among other regular, everyday things. "Do you have any kids?" I asked him, still playing my role.

"No, though someday I'd like to." Good; this made me feel better. But I'm afraid that _someday_ won't be coming.

I asked him to pull over, and he obliged. I did a quick check on our surroundings, before finally dropping my act. I wrapped my arm around his head, placing my hand under the chin, and snapped his neck before he even noticed the sudden change in my composure. The cold, black eyes behind my glasses came out of hiding when I jumped on his body, ripped off the neck of his shirt and dug my teeth into the flesh, instinctively finding the jugular.

After I was done, I raided his car and bag for anything interesting, in this case, a mystery book and a music playing devise. I always liked those things, having a fascination with today's technology, but sense Amun disapproves of pretty much everything, I can only use stuff that I find until the batteries wear out. Once I figured out how to make it work, it was easy to drown out my worries of Benjamin with the unfamiliar melodies.

After disposing the body and car via fire, I leisurely headed back home, only making it half way before I decided I'd rather just camp out by myself for the day. The atmosphere at home was so on edge, I felt like I was walking around on pins and needles anyway. I dug a hole in the dirt and sand and sat down inside, alone with my thoughts.

I watched the sunrise, flipped though a few pages of the book, and listened to some music, surprised when I came across songs I heard years before. Humans usually got bored with things so easily, I was surprised to see some still had the same taste as they did so long ago. Eventually, I dug out the small package from Ben and rubbed my hands over the rapping. I always liked the sound of crinkling paper.

Midday I finally opened it. It was a ring; several pale amethysts were arranged as petals, with a pavé diamond centre of the flower, and a sterling silver band. Although I loved purple, I was confused as to why he would send me this. Did he seriously think jewelry would make up for his absence? And if he could send me a letter, why couldn't he come here himself? I didn't want a stupid ring, I wanted _him_.

But if he wasn't going to come here, _I_ would have to go there. Of course, I would have to make a stop somewhere else first...


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

**Benjamin's POV**

"So here's the back-story," Felix came up from behind me, while we were briskly walking through a small corn and potato field. His bulky partner joined him on the other side of me. "Family really wants a boy, illegally has a third child, and looses everything, so they're dirt poor. Vampire girl comes along, takes pity on them, and ends up falling in love with the eldest daughter-"

"Wait, with the _daughter_?" I interrupted him

"It's the 21st century now man; homophobia isn't 'cool' anymore. That kind of thing is completely normal." I nodded my head, embarrassed a bit. "Hey, if anyone's to blame it's that creep who raised you," he added, apparently sensing my awkwardness. Yes, he was right. It's hard to keep up with the times when you weren't aloud to leave the house other than to hunt... Damn hermit.

I nodded my head. "Continue."

"Yeah, anyway, they fall in love. But as I said before, the family has nothing, so they arrange a marriage for the daughter to some man-"

"I thought you said she liked females."

"...And thus we have our problem. So, vampire girl changes the daughter so they can run away and be happy together." Hmm, sounds similar to me and Tia's story; I could see no problem. "No harm done in this of course, but what does the daughter do? She changes her two younger sisters."

"...And?"

He frowned. "They're underage; one's not even six. That's a crime in itself, but to make matters worse, they're starting to attract the human eye. They need to be... Taken care of," he said, and the man on the other side of me smiled.

"What happened to the vampire girl?" I asked

"She was the one who reported the issue to us." When he saw I was waiting for more than that, he added, "She failed to control her created newborn. We killed her." Understandable; she broke the law, and that has consequences. I mean, she practically asked for it. "The three of them apparently took over a wealthier man's house and have been staying there ever sense." He pointed up ahead, and I could see the living conditions were far from what I considered wealthy.

It looked sturdy enough, but I couldn't really tell what it was made of. Wood and stone, I think? There was no glass in the windows, and no door on the frame, although one was leaning up against the side with broken hinges. The dirt around the yard was kicked up; looking like it saw a few fights. The greenery in the back was scratched up and cut down. Whoever lived here enjoyed their strength a little too much.

Caius called us all to a halt. He looked far happier than I'd seen him before; almost pleased even. Without instruction, Felix and his buddy went in. I heard screams, hisses, snarls, and everything of the sort before they came out dragging three struggling girls, all sputtering something in a language that sounded like a bunch of chime-y, gibberish to me. The oldest one had her hair pulled back in a messy bun, and was snarling furiously. The middle child –who looked to be about my age, had her bangs cut way to short, like she did it herself. And the youngest had her hair in pig-tails. She remained completely quiet, unlike her siblings, and actually had a smile on her face, probably thinking this was a game or something. Other than that, they were practically identical, and were undoubtedly related; same hair, same skin, same eyes, probably even before the change.

Jane was smiling as well now, balancing eagerly on the balls of her feet. The youngest one wasn't smiling anymore; no, she began to wail the most bloodcurdling scream I ever heard. She wiggled around in Felix's arm, her fingers digging into her own skin and ripping shreds of it off. The oldest one started freaking out even more, and actually managed to get out of the other man's grip, but not in time to avoid Caius' advancement. He took her legs clean off and stepped on them, pulverising them into gravel. He took his good time doing it too.

Before continuing with the elder's death sentence, he looked up at me. "Burry the house, will you?"

"Don't you think China's had enough earthquakes?" Felix joked

"That's Japan, idiot, and definitely not funny," the other man rolled his eyes. I didn't really understand what they were talking about, so I just brushed past them.

Glad to have something to do other than just stand by and watch, I turned back to face the house and sat down on the ground, placing my hands in front of me. I closed my eyes, concentrating. I experienced the invisible extension of my body feel for every tiny speck of dirt and rock, and unknotted their woven pattern, ripping the earth out from beneath the house. The structure collapsed inwards, and buried itself in the soil. A huge dust blur rose up from the debris, clouding the fallen dwelling and signalling I'd done enough.

When I rose, I saw that they were nearly done with the decapitation. The oldest girl's body was burning rapidly, and I took the initiative to feed the flames and carry them over the younger one's remains as well. Frowning, I thought about why I was doing this for a moment. I never killed another vampire before. I had an odd sensation, as if I was punched in the gut, and my chest had a heavy feeling where my heart used to be. It was quite like guilt, but ten time's worse. I lowered my hand and staggered backwards; what was I doing that was so wrong as to make me feel like this? I was just- The Volturi-

The others were done with the middle child now. Caius told me to do that trick with the fire again with her, and I obliged numbly. I felt sick almost; I hadn't felt sick for a _long_ time. We set the crumbled house on fire as well, leaving absolutely no room for evidence. Everyone else seemed fine; maybe I was just being a wimp.

On the plane ride home, I had to ask Felix something that was bugging me. "You said the two younger ones were underage, but the middle child couldn't have been any older than me."

"You're point?"

"Why is she dead and I'm not?" And why isn't Jane and Alec?

He smiled. "We spare those who Aro dubs as innocent, or truly penitent, and if they show the ability to control themselves, which you have." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a point where no one else could hear, and added, "It's funny how this is always the case with those who have valuable gifts." The way he said it, I could tell it was something he probably wasn't supposed to share. "We all know it, well, at least those of us here on our free will, like me."

Wait, what did that mean? Ugh, this was another one of those times that I felt like I was missing something crucial; like someone cut out a piece of my thoughts or something.

Felix suddenly changed the secretive mood. "Hey, when we get back, Santiago and I were going to kick around a football like the humans. Do you want to join us?"

"Um, that's okay. I think I'd rather just see what kind of books you have in your library.

He snorted. "By my guest; that thing hasn't been updated in years; there's not a thing in there that most of us haven't read."

Good, than that mean's I'll hopefully be alone. I could use some alone time right now...


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

**Demetri's POV**

I was enjoying myself, casually glancing over the pages of book after book. At first I attempted to pace myself to a human's speed as a challenge, but got bored and quit. Now I was rapidly digesting the words of history, classic-fiction and our own personal records; nothing I hadn't already previously read. Someone should really request to have our stocks updated; I know a few of us have our own personal keepings of more recent text, but I highly doubt that if I asked Renata if I could borrow her stupid demon-hunting series, she would say yes. Maybe I should just go acquire my own copies...

I lifted my nose out of my current hardback, surprised to hear the doors open and close. The odds of someone else coming in here were fairly low.

Oh. It was just the new boy. He looked pretty shaken up over something; his lips were tightly pressed together in a thin line, and his eyes were squinted and unfocused. He pulled his hood back, revealing his messy, short wavy hair, and went over to look at the first row of books. I closed my own and went to go converse with him.

"Is there anything particular you're looking for?" I asked

"Yes; something in a language I can read," he replied, tracing his pointer finger over the spines of many books, all printed in Italian.

"There's some older stuff in Greek towards the back rows, but other than that, nothing I'm afraid." At this he frowned, and I took the opportunity to brag. "I could translate for you; I'm a polyglot. I can speak Greek, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, English, and a bit of German, Russian and French."

He gawked for a moment. "How do you know all that?"

"I travel a lot," I just shrugged, but was glad to know I impressed him. I'm really quite an impressive guy. I saw in his face that he was about to turn around and leave, but I stopped him by grabbing his shoulder and leading him over to where I was sitting. "You might as well stay and chat for a while; after all, we have a lot in common."

"Are you serious? You're pretty much everything I wish I was! You're smart, confident, grown up-" Did he really just use the term 'grown up?' "-And you've been everywhere! There probably isn't a site on earth you haven't seen!"

"All very true," I flattered myself, "but it's just my job. And now it's yours too. You just got back from China; somewhere you never would've seen with Amun."

He looked at me for a minute, almost like he was trying to put something together. "You speak as if you know him."

"I do." At this, he raised his eyebrows, as if this was impossible. I suppose it was rather unlikely in his eyes. I just smiled, pleased to one-up him again. Perhaps he was better company than I thought. I mean, in a way, we're kind of like family... "Somewhere around 1000 A.D Amun found me in Greece. I honestly can't tell you much other than that, because I have trouble remembering so far back, but I _do_ know that we were rather close. Friends, I guess. I...I don't know _how_, or why..." I paused, scrunching up my face in distaste of the thought. "Anyway, it was Amun who showed me how to use my gift. Back then he wasn't as solitary as he is now, and had me tracking people all over the Mediterranean. It was just a game for me, but of course it was more to him. As you would expect, the Volturi caught wind of my existence, and came to rescue me, like we did for you."

"Thank you."

"No problem. But now that we've become kindred spirits, I can be the big brother you never had. So tell me, what's bothering you?"

He frowned, at sat in silence for a minute debating whether or not to share his thoughts. I realised he did a lot of that; thinking before speaking, as if he was scared of what would happen if he said the wrong thing. Something else he must've adapted to from living with Amun I guess, although I imagine things must've been different when he was with his mate. Poor guy.

"I'm a murderer."

Oh god. Was he going to go all Cullen on me? "You are no more a murderer for killing a human, than a cat is for killing a mouse."

"No, no, it's not that. I've accepted that a long time ago. I mean... I helped slaughter these three girls... I've never done that before. It makes me feel sick; my chest is heavy, my eyes prickle, but of course no tears come out, and my stomach caves in, making me feel like doubling over. What's wrong with me?"

Ahh, I see. What a newbie. "You have remorse. It's a human emotion like guilt, but worse. A few decades practice and it will go away." I gave a supportive smile, but my encouragement apparently wasn't helpful. In fact, now he was looking at me like I was crazy. "Look, if Aro says its okay, than its okay. No other opinion matters."

He nodded his head in agreement, but his face said otherwise. "I just don't want Tia to be angry with me when she gets here."

"Wait, she's coming here? How do you know?"

"I asked her to. She misses me too, I know it," he smiled to himself at the thought, and got up to leave. This time I let him. Admittedly, I was envious of his relationship; his girl was fairly attractive. I wonder if he would mind sharing if she came here... probably not. Out of curiosity, I dove into my mental archives of vampires and their whereabouts, searching for her thread of essence. ...Why would she be in America?

"Were you serious about the big brother thing?" He interrupted my thoughts jokingly, standing by the doors.

_You're ridiculously powerful, new and haven't been claimed by anyone else yet. Why wouldn't I want you as my ally?_ "Of course; I'll be the Dean to your Sam."

"...What?"

Oh yeah; he's been pop-culture quarantined all his life. "Never mind. My first act as your new big brother is to teach you how to fight, because capturing you was _way_ to easy..."


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

**Tia's POV**

This can't be right. I could've sworn this was the place. The white, three-story house looked exactly like I remember, with the majority of the furnishings still in the same arrangement as before. But the area was vacated; the only sign of life was the lack of dust, which meant someone must have been keeping the place together.

I looked up at the sky, as if it would rain down with an answer. It was odd to be standing outside in the middle of the day, but with the heavy covering of rain clouds blocking out any possible ray of sun, there were no sparkles to be seen on my skin. Ohh, how I hated those sparkles- they looked so beautiful on the snow-white skinned vampires; like diamonds or silver glitter, but with my olive-complexion (which, I should add, was more like dark coffee as a human,) the "sparkles" looked like little flakes of amber. The only person I've seen that actually looks good in it is Kebi; with her smoky eyes and blood-red lips she looks like a goddess on fire or something.

While I was pondering this, the sent of human blood made me turn around. An American cop car was pulling up the drive-way. The man inside had brown hair, with specks of grey in the roots. He was pretty tall and built, but it could've been the thick jacket giving that impression.

My first thought naturally was to kill him; he saw my eyes. But if he was all the way back this road that must mean he knows the Cullens. I knew the Volturi had humans working for them; did the Cullens do the same?

He got out of his car, but kept a good distance from me. He squinted his eyes and looked down and back up to my face, taking in my appearance. "Aren't you cold?" He asked me, of all things. Not, 'what are you doing here?' 'Why are you looking at me like that?' 'What's wrong with your eyes?' No, he was concerned about the way I was _dressed_.

I looked at his outfit in comparison to mine. He had a jacket, buttoned up shirt, slack pants and boots on, whereas I was currently sporting a beige tank top and cargo shorts. I dug my bare feet into the ground awkwardly; if I killed him I could take his clothes; they'd be a bit big, but...

"Do you work for the Cullens?" I asked, ignoring his question.

"No. I just try and keep their house in good shape. My daughter married their son." So he was still obviously connected to them, which meant they might get upset if I killed him. "You a... friend of theirs?"

"I guess so. I need to talk to the girl with the shield."

He clearly had no idea what I was talking about, which made me doubt he truly was who he said he was, but he just quirked his mouth and shrugged. "They left for Oregon about a year ago." What? They _relocated_? Who does that? "I can give you their new address," he said, and went back into his car to write something down on a slip of note paper. I was still miffed that I came all this way, only to be told they weren't here. Oregon's still in the United States, right?

[][][][][]

So they now lived in Astoria; one of the cloudiest places in America. Gosh, America was such a huge place, when you think about it. And I had lots of time to think while running again.

Their new house looked a lot like their old one. It was roughly the same size, with a porch, and it looked like there was a flower garden in the back yard. It was painted a dark red, with white window panes and porch railings, and dim brown shingles. Unlike their other house, it was very clear people were living in this one.

I was about to open the door and let myself in when the small, spiky-haired girl I didn't really get the chance to meet last time did it for me. I smiled, and she returned the gesture, but it didn't seem very happy. I guess mine probably didn't either.

I almost forgot how large their coven was; four of them were sitting on the couch, little Renesmee (who wasn't as little as I remember,) was on the floor playing with one of those giant dogs, and Carlisle and his wife were standing next to a spiral staircase. They were all looking at me expectantly; except for the girl and the dog-man-thing.

"It's wonderful to see you again Tia, although it's unfortunate the visit is under such circumstances," Carlisle said, removing his hands from around his wife to come and shake mine in greeting.

"So you know?" I asked, confused

"Alice," he smiled sadly.

"Bella's not going anywhere" Edward suddenly shot up from the couch to join in the conversation. His wife reached out for him, and pressed her lips tightly together in frustration when he didn't sit back down.

"But you haven't even heard me yet," I argued. "The Volturi took Benjamin. I want to go get him back, but I can't risk getting my thoughts read, or worse, having Chelsea manipulate them like I'm sure she did to Ben; then neither of us would get home. But when we stood up to the Volturi, Bella was able to-"

"It doesn't work like that," he interrupted again. That was very annoying, having someone answer your thoughts before you got the chance to explain them. "Sorry," he added, with a bit of embarrassment. Good.

"I just- I mean, even if she could just _try_."

"Could you please stop talking about me as if I'm not here," Bella quietly added. Her eyes were gold like the rest of the family now; the only change from the last time I saw her. "Edward's right; I can't go to Volterra, but if it's what you really want, I can't see any harm in trying."

"It won't work," Edward muttered, much to Bella's annoyance. I guess he just didn't want her to be disappointed if she failed.

"Please, try," I ignored him. Everyone looked at Alice.

"...Maybe? Bella doesn't know, and so neither do I."

"Alright," Bella said, turning back to me.

We went outside in the yard. Bella narrowed her eyes, and looked up at Edward.

"I can't read her," he said, "but how can you keep it going at such a huge distance?"

"I'm going to try and close it off around her," she explained, as if they were talking about a bubble you could pinch shut. She narrowed her eyes again, until closing them tightly and scrunching up her face in deep concentration. I still felt no different, but when her eyes fluttered open again, she relaxed her shoulders and smiled. "I think I did it."

"I still can't here her," Edward said, actually surprised, and my hopes rose. Did this actually work?

The two were smiling at each other now, which only made me jealous. "It's kind of like a part of me is cut off, but I can still feel it; I think I can hold it." Bella looked over at me, "At least I hope I can," she bit her lip insecurely, but I paid no mind.

"I can't thank you enough," I praised them

"Just get Benjamin back; he's a good kid."

I nodded my head, barely controlling the urge to jump up and down in excitement, before taking off.

It was a long run to Italy.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter XI**

**Tia's POV**

There are a lot of people in Italy, and apparently none of them no how to drive. In Milan, traffic lights are instructions, in Rome they are suggestions, and in Naples they are decorations. Of course it would help if I actually knew where to _go_...

The areas I'd seen so far were too populated to possibly host the Volturi's secretive existence. They would need a more private location. I'd probably be searching for that location all night if it wasn't for the sudden hand over my mouth and arm around my waist that pulled me into an ally way.

"You know, I was starting to doubt you'd come," a familiar voice chuckled. I cringed; it was the same man who told me if I followed them, they would kill me. I started to struggle, but it only caused him to laugh again. "What's even more curious is why you decided to stop in America first. Care to explain?"

No. And even if I did, it'd be pretty hard with his hand over my mouth.

"You can relax. I'm not going to kill you. Something tells me Benjamin wouldn't like that." So I do relax; not because he told me to, but because he just admitted that Benjamin was with them, and he was still okay.

He removed his hand from my mouth, and I frowned and furrowed my eyebrows expectedly. He just smirked, and traced his finger down the bridge of my nose.

"Cute. Now, follow me. There's someone who's been dying to see you."

Somehow I didn't think he was talking about Ben, but I trailed anyway.

He led me to an old church, which made me first assume this was all a trick, and now that we were out of the public eye, he was going to kill me. But no; instead we went through a door in the cellar that sent us walking down a dank tunnel, reeking with must. At the end, the tunnel split into two hallways.

I kind of expected the Volturi's lair to be fancier. The only lighting came from arrow slits above my head, and the structure was made of ancient stone. In the center, there was a drainage grate, like the kind you'd see in a public shower, and against the back wall sat three impressive looking chairs; very unfitting with the state of the rest of the room.

Marcus was seated in the chair to the right of Aro, and the chair on the left was empty, where I suppose Caius would've been. Caius was very intimidating, and I was glad to see he was absent. Marcus was looking at me with sympathy, something I didn't know the Volturi were capable of. Aro, however, just looked fake.

The man who escorted me here went to stand next to Caius' empty chair, while Aro stood up from his, a false smile on his face. "We've been waiting anxiously for your arrival," he said, with a sugary sweet voice. "Benjamin has been very concerned for your wellbeing."

"Funny; I've been concerned for his."

"There's absolutely nothing to be distressed about my dear. I can imagine Amun has seeded some terrible lies about us in your head." With that he stepped foreword and offered out his hand. I looked at it for a second, knowing what it was for, and clenched my teeth, praying Bella's shield was still in effect. "But I promise none of them are true."

I took his hand and he pulled me foreword, rubbing his palms over mine. His brows furrowed, and I hid my pleasure; it worked. I was still protected. I kept my expression blank, not wanting to tip him off that I was aware such difficulty might occur.

"Interesting," he mumbled to himself, and I just stayed silent. "Demetri tells me you were in America before coming here. Did you happen to pick someone up with you?" So he was suspicious of Bella's involvement. Makes sense; she's the only one either of us have ever witnessed to possess such a strong shielding ability.

"No," I answered; ready to spurt out my lie. "I received Benjamin's letter, but when I showed it to Amun, he threatened to kill me if I came here. I went to America first to get him off of my tracks."

"That's an awful long way just to try and loose someone..."

"He knows we befriended the Cullens there. It's the only other coven I've associated with in the past; the only one that would protect me."

For a minute, I was almost sure he didn't believe me, but then his smile returned, but this time it wasn't phony. "Protecting the innocent is what the Volturi do. Although the Cullens are a sizeable and talented group, they are nothing compared to our guard." He reached for my hand again, I guess wanting to give it another go. I let him, positive now that it wouldn't work. His displeasure pleased me. "Tia, isn't it?" I nod my head. "Tia, were you aware of the shield around your mind?"

I narrowed my eyes, acting surprised, as if I suspected he was trying to trick me, and gave him the enjoyment of thinking he knew something I didn't. "What do you mean?"

"I am unable to read your mind. The last time I experienced this..." He trailed off into his own thoughts, grinning again. "To think Amun had you under his roof all this time, and didn't even know what possibilities he possessed. So much potential..."

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" Marcus spoke up, sitting up from his slouching pose. "Let the girl see her mate before you start sticking her under a microscope." Was that... _distaste_, I heard?

One thing was for sure; I underestimated Aro's greediness. I guess I either didn't assume he would believe my lies, or he wouldn't take them to heart so much. This only meant getting out safely with Benjamin was more important.

While I was mulling these thoughts over, I didn't notice that the Demetri man had disappeared. But when the grand doors opened from behind me, he returned, with a boyish figure behind him.

Benjamin! My knees literally shook seeing him right there in front of me. Our eyes met, and he ran foreword... only to stop about a meter away from me.

What are you doing, Ben?

He looked up at Aro, who nodded his head. He wanted _approval_ to embrace me. That hurt a lot more than I imagined, but it was necessary to see; to see that this was not the same Benjamin I know.

But when he hugged me... It was hard to differentiate. He felt the same. He smelled the same.

"I'm so glad you're here," he whispered. He sounded the same too. "I was so worried about you."

I wanted to grab him by the arm and pull him out right then and there, but his gaze up at Aro still stung in my head. Something told me he would've fought me.

But that won't be a problem once I've done what I came here to do.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter XII**

**Benjamin's POV**

I placed my white stone down next to Tia's on the grid, and she frowned. I blocked her in again. "Don't be upset; it took me a whole week until I finally won," I said.

"I just don't understand the game." The goal was to claim territory by walling off sections of the board and surrounding each other's stones, but her black ones were always sectioned off by my white. She wasn't very good, but then again, neither was I until I got the hang of it.

"You just need to work on your strategy," I smiled, and she huffed. Tia picked up another one of her stones and looked at the grid, trying to pick a spot.

We were sitting on the floor of the castle's common room, while people brushed past us every now and then. It looked a lot like our old living room back in Egypt; it had two chesterfields, an arm chair, a blank coffee table... but with _technology_; things from this decade. They had a giant TV with a box that played videos, computers, some entirely made of a screen that you could touch, and even phones. Phones you didn't have to through away once the battery ran out. Needless to say, Tia was very impressed. The modern world sometimes felt like we were looking through some kind of warped reality, with magic machines that could do anything. The Volturi didn't seem to think this way though, and even saw amusement in our awe of anything that had buttons. I guess it's because they've stayed in touch with the world.

"I give up," she sighed. I shook my head and started to pack the game up, while she leaned in close to whisper to me. "Is there anywhere we can go where I can talk to you in... private?" I blinked for a moment, not understanding why she would want privacy. Anything she had to say to me, she could say to the Volturi. But I nodded my head anyway and got up to lead her to my personal quarters.

My room was just a small cubicle, with a mostly empty bookshelf, a single light on the ceiling, and in the center, a large, mahogany desk and comfy office chair. When I first arrived, I had nothing but pen and paper, but after Demetri's rant on how "old school" I was, he got me a laptop computer, which was now Tia's center of attention. I smiled and sat down in the chair to show her.

"There's a game that teaches you how to use it," I explained, bringing it up. "You have to type out what comes up on the screen." My fingers flew over the keys, much to her amusement. "You try," I offered, guiding her into the chair.

She grinned, and lined her fingers up over the keys in the same fashion I showed her. 'The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy god,' popped up. She slowly punched in the letters with annoyance at her speed.

"This is a lot harder than I thought." And with that she closed the lid and looked up at me.

I smiled, and sat down on the tabletop, playfully winding my legs around hers, but her frown remained. Tia was so pretty; such looks of despair didn't suit her.

"What's wrong?" I asked, not expecting this.

"Benjamin, we can't stay here."

I leaned back, confused. "Of course we can. Where else would we go?" I sure as hell wasn't going back to Amun.

"Ben, we can't..." she trailed off, rephrasing her words, "People will always try to manipulate you, because of how powerful you are."

I just smiled, "But Tia, you're powerful too, remember?" She just closed her eyes at that, looking guilty, but I skipped right over it. "And all the more reason we should stay here. The Volturi will protect us. They protect people from the bad guys like Amun."

"Kind of hypocritical of them," she muttered, much to my astonishment.

"The Volturi-"

"Forget it. I was hoping I could talk this out without conflict, but I see that's impossible now." He face scrunched up, disgruntled. Needless to say, I was very confused. Where was all this coming from? Why was she so weary of the Volturi? The guard was where we belonged...

...But Tia was right about Amun... Was she right about the Volturi too?

She smoothed out her features and leaned in to kiss me. Her lips gently brushed against mine, followed by tender pecks on my cheeks. I did the same to hers, and I felt her face rise into a small, meek smile. Some mates were very... _passionate_ I guess, would be the better word for it, but Tia and I had always been docile with our love. Demetri described it as 'middle-school romance.' I don't know what that means, or if it's a compliment or insult, but I don't really care. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Tia brushed her long ebony hair out of her eyes and exhaled quickly. "I was hoping I could meet some more of your friends." Her tone was oddly stiff and unsettling, but I smiled anyway, the previous conversation forgotten. We rose and leisurely walked down the hall again in silence.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter XIII**

**Demetri's POV**

Vampires don't need to feed as often as humans do. The blood of one human is enough to satiate a mature vampire for about a week. But would a human stop feeding after they reached their minimum amount of healthy calorie intake? No. So why wouldn't we indulge ourselves when the opportunity presented itself? Being on the Volturi guard had its perks, after all.

Screams echoed in the halls. I paid no attention to them though; I'm to busy sucking the male dry in my arms. He's empty, and even though I knew this, my instincts still kept me clutching his dead body like a lifesaver, trying to guzzle down any last drops. The fact that no more came out made me angry. I dropped him like a sack of potatoes, and lifted my head in search for my next victim.

They ran around like headless chickens. We could easily contain them if we wanted to; tie them down in some way, but it was all part of the fun. Heidi's poor British tourists; I highly doubt this is what they were expecting at the end of 'the ancient tunnel, leading to a fabulous ancient castle!'

I spotted a female curled up in a ball on the floor, weeping over the lifeless body of a child, with a messy chunk missing out of its neck. She's very pretty, with blonde hair and big brown eyes, despite the tear-soaked face. She's just my type.

In an instant I'm beside her, stroking her cheek. "There are lots of children in the world. His death won't make a difference," I consoled her. She tried to hastily crawl away from my touch, staring with horror at my bloodstained face. I gripped a clump of her hair and pulled her forewords into my arms. Her screams died out with a final gasp, when my teeth sink into her soft, malleable skin.

The room quieted down, signaling the last of our meal was gone. Around me, guard members were getting up and brushing themselves off, finished with their food. When the woman is completely out of use, I did the same, leaving the bodies ready for disposal.

I looked around the room for Benjamin; now that I was done feeding I was supposed to head off to Nigeria, because some brainless law-breaker thought he could run away from his punishment. The least he could've done was try to hide in someplace I _liked_ to visit, like Spain, or Austria. I hadn't been to Austria in quite a while... I cursed myself for getting off topic. I wanted to see if Benjamin were permitted to accompany me. Not that I got lonely when tracking someone or anything... But he'd probably like to get out again. I was just being a good ally, that's all.

But he wasn't here. Did he skip on feeding? He never did that before. Maybe his stupid mate was hogging all his attention again.

I had decided that I didn't like her. She clung to Benjamin like a parasite. Yeah, she was attractive; worthy enough to fool around with, but as a mate? What on earth did he see in her? She barely ever spoke, she glared at everyone who walked by, and basically never detached from him as if she were scared he was going to run away from her. If I were him I would have _long_ ago. Was I jealous? ...Maybe a little. _No_. no, I wasn't jealous; it was just nice having the guy follow me around like a little lost puppy, nodding his head at everything I said. It's not like I enjoyed is company, or respected him or anything...

I searched my head for Benjamin's essence, and found him in Chelsea's room. _What_ was he doing in _there_? The two barely interacted, besides Chelsea's check-ups on his... wellbeing.

And then it occurred to me. _"You're not going to brainwash me. They'll come to my rescue,"_ His voice reverberated in my head. No! The bitch was going to kill Chelsea and free Benjamin! She was going to take him away from me!

My legs were moving faster than my mind. I raced around the corner as fast as possible, and skidded to a halt at her door. I kicked it open, and the debris flew in all directions. In front of me, Tia was pinning Chelsea against the wall, while Benjamin was backed up against the corner, with his eyes rapidly glancing back and forth between the two. He was shaking furiously, with fire in his palms. I saw Afton's decapitated body lying up against the desk.

I threw myself at Tia, tackling her to the ground. "What are you doing?" I hissed, and she snapped at my arm, getting a good bite in. I growled at the pain, and she kicked me off her. Tia flew back on top of Chelsea, who almost made it to the door. The dark skinned girl twisted Chelsea's arm in an awkward position, snapping it off. Chelsea howled, and got a good grip on Tia's neck. She pulled her foreword into a headlock, and I came rushing to rip it off. But just when I reached out for her, she swung her legs around behind her back, and kicked me in the face. I could hear the cracking in my neck, and stumbled backwards, keeping my head secure.

While I was recovering from the near beheading, reattaching the broken line around my collar, Tia had managed to wiggle out of Chelsea's hold. Chelsea was smaller than Tia, and I guess it gave her a bit of a disadvantage when it came to tackling. Tia was on top of her again. Chelsea wildly swung her one arm around, clawing into Tia's shoulder, but the girl didn't even seem to notice. Tia ripped a good clump of hair out before securing her hands under Chelsea's chin. I watched the girl pop Chelsea's head off like a cork.

And then the room started spinning.

It suddenly felt like a wall around my head that I didn't know existed opened up, and thoughts I forgot I had came flooding in. The feeling was so overwhelming it sent me down on my knees. I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut. Why was this happening? How... What... Who... I opened my eyes again and looked over to see Benjamin was in the same position as I was.

Tia rose from the ground, and kneeled next to her breathless mate. She gently grasped his wrist, and guided his still aflame hand over to the lifeless body of Chelsea. The woman went up in smoke.

**A/N: Not a lot of dialogue in this one; sorry for that. Next chapter is the epilogue.**

**Tia wasn't as desperate last time as she was this time. I mean, this fight was basically end all. Either she won, or she lost everything; not just her life. Plus, she caught Demetri off guard, and so naturally he wouldn't be in his A-game.**

**Chelsea's character didn't seem like a real fighter to me. It was clear she was only really used for her gift, so I can't imagine she would have much experience in a fist fight. **


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Demetri's POV**

Considering how quick vampires were, it took quite a while for anyone to finally find us. A few minutes after Tia gave one final kick to Chelsea's ashes, Felix and Santiago came in and grabbed the two by the arms. Felix gave a weary look at me, as if he was unsure if I need to be escorted too. I just scowled and followed behind them. Tia and Benjamin exchanged a glance, and went without trouble.

The main room in the turret was crowded with the guard. I saw Heidi hugging herself tightly, looking off into space with a sorrowful gaze. Renata was glaring daggers at Aro, something that was so out of character for her, I was surprised she was even capable of it. And while Aro was standing in the center, Caius insolently behind him, Marcus was still seated in his chair, with a blank, depressing expression out of focus with the rest of the room.

"Do you have any idea what you've done," Aro whispered. "Do you have any idea what you've done!" he repeated, "Half of my guard is missing, and the other half is so dazed and confused, you'd swear they were under the influence!"

"..._Our_ guard," Caius corrected him, but Aro paid no mind.

"You," he sprung foreword at Tia and Benjamin, "You've ruined _everything_." I was about to interrupt that it wasn't Benjamin's fault, and that he shouldn't be punished, but kept my mouth shut; Aro was in no mood to listen to my perspective. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't already.

"Leave them be." Marcus said. His voice cut through the room like a knife. He stood up from his chair and was next to Aro in a flash, his arm spread across Benjamin and Tia protectively. "Killing them won't get you back anything you've lost."

Aro scowled, and looked up from Marcus' arm to his eyes, and whispered, "Have I lost you, too?"

"You lost me a long time ago" he replied.

"They've murdered two of our guard members; a direct display of treason. They must be punished for their crime!" Caius snared, and I stepped foreword finally.

"What crime? Winning back their freedom? _All_ of our freedom?" I pointed out, motioning around the room. "If anyone has done wrong here, it's _you_." I saw a few weary glances amongst the crowed.

"The Volturi are not evil," Benjamin started. "You keep order, and are crucial to our survival. You are needed. But it seems like any form of government, you've grown corrupt. Bending the minds of others to join your cause... It's _wrong_. No one should stay here unless they themselves _choose_ to do so.

"You have some good people here, and someday I might return." At this Aro's face softened slightly. "But if I do, it will be on _my_ terms, and no one else's."

What can I say, the kid is smart. Even the possibility of not loosing Benjamin forever was enough to satisfy Aro; at least for now anyway.

Caius was still peeved and ready to behead them, but would never do so unless Aro gave the okay. Instead of that though, Aro turned around to face is guard, and began his speech. Whether it was full of lies or not, I wasn't sure.

"I've done you all a great wrong, and for that, I am sorry," he began. "But Benjamin speaks the truth; we are not the villains here. I assure you I only ever had the best intentions in mind." At this, Corin turned around and left, and I wondered just how many already did so once they came out of their puzzled state. Aro winced for a brief second, but recovered and continued. "I... understand... if you no longer wish to count yourself amongst our ranks. I promise you will receive no trouble with your departure, but know I will bid you farewell with a heavy heart.

"Every single one of you is here because you've proven to be a crucial piece of the bigger picture. The glue to hold our picture has fallen, but does that mean our picture must fall as well? We can recover from this blow like any other; the Volturi is and always has been strong, because you make it so. So please, think about what you would be leaving behind. We are a family here, one you will not so easily find elsewhere." He raised his arms expressively, "So I ask of you, please stay with your family. You all belong here, more than anywhere else." He lowered them again, and gave a winning smile.

Charismatic as ever, that one.

A few left, but most stayed. Felix, who was never under Chelsea's spell to begin with, was trying to talk Heidi into staying. Marcus was no where to be found. Jane and Alec remained, although they did so with uncertain scowls. I watched Benjamin and Tia join hands, and exit the room unhurried.

"You're leaving, aren't you," Felix was suddenly by my side.

I nodded. "I need to remember who I was before this; I need to find out who I am."

He snorted. "You're Demetri, stuck-up tracker extraordinaire. Just watch; three years and you'll be back," he bet.

"_Decade_," I smirked, and we shook hands.

I caught up to Benjamin and Tia in a flash. Benjamin relaxed his shoulders once he saw it was me, probably expecting it to be some kind of fight. "Demetri," he smiled, "It was... Well, I can't say it was great to meet you, under the circumstances, but you're alright."

"I know," shrugged, and Tia rolled her eyes, and started to pull Benjamin away.

"Come on Ben; we've been here way to long," she whispered.

"You know what? So have I. Are you toddlers in need of an adult chaperone?"

"What?" They both spluttered.

"I said I'm going with you... Where are we going, exactly?"

"...That's what we were just talking about, right Ben?"

"Well, if you're open for suggestions, I know for a fact that Greece has a plentiful population, and lovely night time scenery."

The three of us began walking again. Soon out of Volterra, soon out of Italy, and soon into a whole new life. One that we got to decide for ourselves. Because really, that's what makes all the difference.

**A/N: Yup, it's over. Although, as you can see, I left a bit of an opening for a sequel, if I ever wanted to write one; I mean, I seriously doubt Amun would just let them go, knowing Benjamin **_**and**_** Demetri were both free from the Volturi now. Whether or not I'll ever pursue that thought however is uncertain. **

**This took me the longest to write, I think, out of all of the chapters, mostly because of Aro's speech. I wrote several variations of it, and ended up with this one; I hope it's acceptable.**

**Anyway, it's been really fun playing with these characters and really great hearing from you guys! Thank you so much for everything!**

**And, as always, Even if critique isn't your forte, don't be afraid to review regardless!**

**~Braly**


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